Explosion-hatch for oil-containers.



C. N. SCOTT.

EXPLOSION HATCH FOR OIL CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION man Nov. 6. 1915.

1,21 9,493. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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in i v i C. N. SCOTT.

EXPLOSION HATCH FOR OIL CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 6. 1915.

l ,2 9,49 3 Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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EXPLOSION HATCH FOR OIL CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 195- 1,219,493. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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4 i l 5% 6']; 1,5 6 i i i l i mm W Z 5 J3 7 36 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

CLARENCE N. SCOTT, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

EXPLOSION-HATCH FOR OIL-CONTAINERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE N. SCOTT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, resident of Houston, Harris county, Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosion-Hatches for Oil-Containers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an explosion hatch for oil containers.

The object of this invention is to provide a hatch which will readily permit, with a minimum of pressure within the container, of the escape of the gases of combustion or explosion through the hatchway, should an explosion occur within the container, and which will close the hatchway after the explosion has occurred and prevent an ingress of air to support combustion, and also restrict the further escape of gas through the hatchway. I

In the production, transportation, storing and refining of petroleum it is customary to place the same temporarily in tanks, usually cylindrical in form and constructed of metal plates, having a roof or covering generally of wood but frequently of sheet metal or other form of covering, all of the joints of said tank, and the roof or covering being made as tight as possible so as to prevent the unrestricted escape of the gas which evaporates from the oil. As a result of climatic fluctuations and the operations of filling and emptying air will be drawn in, which will mix with the gas in the tank and form an explosive mixture. In case of lightning or fire there is great danger of an ignition of the explosive mixture often resulting in an explosion which will wreck or blow off the roof or coverin of the tank, as ordinarily constructed. t the present time storage tanks are sometimes equipped with explosion hatches, but such'as are now em-- ployed have the hatch normally in closed position and before the force can escape through the hatchway the inertia of the hatch while being lifted or opened must be overcome resulting in such an accumulation of pressure in the container or tank as will blow off or wreck the roof; and, if a light weight hatch is used to reduce to a minimum the inertia to be overcome in opening the same it will be warped and distorted by the explosion so that thereafter upon shutting it will not properly close the hatchway with Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented; Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed November 6, 1915. Serial No. 60,055.

the result that air will be admitted into the tank and will support combustion therein.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described with which the tank roof or covering or some other part of the tank may be equipped embodying a hatchway, normally closed by a light Weight, easily disrupted or displaced closure, which normally prevents the escape of gas and the admission of air,

but which will offer only slight resistance to the force from an explosion, should one occur; said device also including a substantial hatch, normally supported in open position and arranged to shut and efliciently close the hatchway after the explosion has occurred, so as to exclude the air from the tank and thereby smother out the flame therein, and also to restrict or prevent the further escape of gas from the tank. The means whereby the hatch is normally supported in open position is removed by the explosion and the hatch thereby permitted to close, as above explained, immediately after the explosion occurs, and the explosion pressure from the interior of the tank has been relieved through the hatchway.

With the above and other objects in view, the-invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts ,an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1, shows a plan view of the preferred form of the hatch.

Fig. 2, shows a front elevation.

Fig. 3, shows a sectional view, taken on the line aa of Fig. l. I

Fig. 4, shows a plan view of a modified form of the hatch.

Fig. 5, shows a front elevation of said modified form.

Fig. 6, shows a sectional view thereof, taken on the line bb, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7, shows a vertical sectional view of the tank whose roof is equipped with said improved hatch, and, h

Fig. 8, shows a fragmentary sectional view of the hatch with another form of sealing joint employed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1, designates an oil tank of conventional form and having the roof 2.

The walls of the tank are usually formed of metal plates and the roof may be either formed of sheet metal, metal plates, or regular wood and reeling felt construction, or any other suitable reeling material.

For the purpose of providing means whereby the tank walls and roof will be quickly relieved of the pressure resulting from the explosion, and whereby the tank will be automatically closed after the pressure of the explosion has been relieved, a hatch has been provided which will now be described.

The preferred form thereof is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherein the mm'ieral 3 designates a frame which is secured to the roof 2, and surrounds the hatchway 4, through said roof. Bolted to this frame and coinciding therewith, is a facing 5. The hatchway is normally closed by means of a relatively thin easily disrupted closure 6 formed of soft lead, fiber or some other suitable material whose edges are clamped be tween the frame and casing, and the frame is formed into a female member having the groove 7, in the upper face thereof, alined with which is the head or male member 8 carried by the under side of the facing and which forces the intervening portion of the c osure or sheet (5, into said groove forming an effective packing for the joint.

The numeral 9, designates the hatch, which is hinged to the roof, frame 3 or facing 5 at one of its edges by means of its hinges 10, 10, 10, or otherwise arranged, so that when in closed position it will rest upon the facing 5 and effectively close the corresponding hatchway. This hatch conforms in shape to the hatchway and is formed usually of metal of ample thickness so as to have sufficient weight to rest firmly on the facing when closed to form therewith a tight joint to prevent the admission of air into the tank to support combustion and the escape of gas from the tank. Normally the hatch is held open by means of the leg 11, arranged at the center of the hatch, as shown, whose upper end is hinged to the under side of the hatch and whose lower free end normally rests upon the closure 6 and sustains the hatch in open position. The free end of this leg is anchored against displacement by means of an anchor wire, or cord, as 12, attached at its respective ends to the free end of said leg and the side of the facing toward the hinges 10, respectively. A plurality of these legs may be employed if desired, and they may be fixed instead of hinged to the hatch, in which case, the anchor wire 12, may be dispensed with. Similar anchor wires or cords 13, 13, are attached at their respective ends to the free edge of the hatch and the corresponding side of the frame or facing, respectively, So as to hold the hatch firmly in fixed open explosion gases, thus preventing iIC'OUl'IlllltL- tion of pressure in the tank. \Vhen the sheet (3, is disrupted by the force of the explosion the support of the leg 11, and the hatch 9, is removed and said hatch is then in condition, as soon as the pressure of explosion in the tank will permit, to drop onto its opposing facing 5, and close the tank, shutting off the air, smothering the [ire in the tank and )reventin or restrictin the further escape of gas. The only repairs necessary after an explosion, will consist of the replacement of. the sheet or closure (3.

, It is of course, understood that a plurality of these hatches is provided for, usually but not necessarily on the roof of each tank, the number and size depending upon the size of the tank, a sufficient number being provided to readily relieve the pressure of the explosion. It is also obvious that the margin of the closure 6, may be so secured to the margin of the hatchway, that the explosion will detach the closure without disrupting it, with the same result as hereinbefore explained.

The closure normally in position offers little resistance to pressure from within the tank and therefore in the case of an explosion it will be disabled either by being disrupted or by being blown out of position. In either case the means rcleasably holding the hatch in open position will'at the same time be disabled as the result of the pressure produced by the explosion so that the hatch under the force tending to close it will move to closed position. In the particular embodiments shown the force tending to close the hatch is gravity the hatch being mounted above the hatchway and tending to fall into closed position.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a modified form of the hatch is shown wherein like numerals of reference designate parts which are similar to those correspondingly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this modified form the hatch is. supported in open position by means of the triggers 14, 14, 14, which are hinged to the roof, frame or facing and whose free ends normally engage the free edge of the hatch to hold it open. An oblong plate 15 is fixed to these triggers and when an explosion occurs, the force exerted against this plate operates to release the triggers from the hatch and the hatch is permitted to fall to a closed position, in the manner and with the result hereinbefore explained. In order to direct thepressure from the explosion, against the oblong plate 15, so as to' insure the disengagement of the triggers from the hatch, vertical plates 16, 16, have been arranged at the respective ends of said hatch, which are secured to the roof, frame or facing, and whose upper edges are connected by the transverse rod 17. This rod secures said plates in fixed position and the plates .pre vent the lateral escape of the pressure from the explosion and direct said pressure against the plate 15, for the purpose above specified.

A transverse groove 18, is cut across the underface of the facing 5, forming a drain, through which the Water, which may collect on the closure 6, will escape. This is particularly necessary'in cold weather, as otherwise the water would freeze, forming a sheet of ice which would reinforce said closure and prevent it from being easily disrupted or displaced, in case an explosion should occur. v

In Fig. 8, another form of sealis shown, which consists of a packing ring 19, formed of suitable soft packing material placed in the groove =7, and against which the opposing part of the sheet or closure 6, is clamped by the facing 5, forming a tight joint.

While I have shown only two forms of this device, it is obvious that, various mechanical changes may be made in the structure thereof without departing from the principle of .the invention, and I hereby reserve the right to make such structural changes, as may be found necessary, so long as I keep within the scope of the appended claims. v

Having thus'described my invention, what I claim is: r

1. The combination With a roofed tank having a hatchway, of a closure easily disabled by pressure within said tank normally closing the hatchway, a self-closing hatch, means normally supporting said hatchin open position, and means. operated by the I passage of the gaseous contents of the tank through said hatchway for disabling said supporting means.

2. The combination with a roofed tank tion above said hatchway, and means op-.

erated by the passage ofthe gaseous contents of the tank through said hatchway for disabling said supporting means.

3. The combination with a roofed tank having a hatchway, of an easily disrupted closure fixed to normally close said hatchway and whose edges are joined to the margin thereof by a sealed joint, a self-closing hatch normally in open position,,means supporting said hatch in open position, and means operated by the passage of the gaseous contents of the tank through said hatchway for disabling said supporting means.

4. The combination with a roofed tank having a hatchway, and a marginal groove surrounding the hatchway, of a facing having a bead which coincides with the groove, an easily'disrupted closure normally closing the hatchway, whose edges are clamped between the margin of the hatchway and the facing and the intervening portion of which is forced by said bead intosaid groove, a self-closing hatch adapted to fit against said facing over said hatch, releasable means supporting said hatch normally in open position and means operated by the passage of the gaseous contents of the tank through said hatchway for disabling said supporting means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLARENCE N. soon. 

